Add Some Asparagus to your Plate

This classically spring vegetable peaks in availability in March & April, but is a great addition to every dinner plate year-round. For only 27 calories a cup, asparagus will give you 3 grams of both fiber and protein, so it’s quite filling! Taking a closer look at the nutritional makeup, one serving offers more than 100% of your daily needed vitamin K, which helps with bone strength and healthy blood clot formation. It is also an excellent source of many B vitamins, which are helpful for healthy blood sugar management.

The Famous After-EffectWe can’t write about asparagus without mentioning its well-established “effect on urine” – people have been noting this “filthy and disagreeable smell” since 1702! Researchers have established that “asparagus urine” is a common human characteristic, but not all people have the genes necessary to smell the odor. So what causes the smell? It’s due to the break-down of the specific combination of naturally occurring compounds in asparagus, and can occur as quickly as 15 to 30 minutes after first eating the veggie!

How To Cook ItTo prepare asparagus, break off the tough ends of the stalks. Simply take a piece and bend it near the bottom of the stalk, and it will naturally snap in the right spot.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken: We love the combination of goat cheese and asparagus, and think this is a creative twist on a chicken breast. We reduced the amount of cooking oil in the recipe, since some of it will get left in the pan. If you don’t like goat cheese, feta would work, too, or you can skip the cheese all together! Here’s the Lose It! recipe for easy logging.